Saints headline first basketball polls

Five of the top 10 teams in the first Associated Press Class D poll of the season are from northern Michigan, and the top two honorable mentions are from the Upper Peninsula, including top-ranked St. Ignace, which received four of five first-place votes and was ranked fifth in the final poll.

The Saints (7-0), already with four wins over Class A competition, are also a unanimous No. 1 in the Upper Peninsula in their first foray to Class D since 1998.

With a returning cast built around Kelley Wright, Emily Hinsman, Sarah Cullip and Morgan LaVake, back from last season's 25-1 Class C semifinalists, the Saints have won all of their seven games by double figures and are averaging just under 70 points per game.

The Saints resume play at home against Charlevoix on Wednesday night.

Forest Park (8-0), led by last season's U.P. Class D Player of the Year Lexi Gussert, is No. 2 in both the state and the Upper Peninsula. Superior Central (8-0) is No. 4 in the state and No. 3 in the U.P, and Bark River-Harris (6-2) is No. 4 in the U.P. and No. 10 in the state. Posen (9-0) is ranked ninth in the state.

DeTour (6-0) and North Central (7-1) tied for No. 5 in the U.P. poll. The Raiders were the top honorable mention team in the state poll with Ontonagon (5-0) following.

Unfortunately, there is very little opportunity to see the top teams play each other: Bark River-Harris faces North Central, Forest Park and Superior Central one more time, and that's it. We'll have to wait for the playoffs for the rest of the big contests.

In Class D boys, Cedarville is the No. 2 team in the U.P. behind Carney-Nadeau.